2023-10-12 08:35:43
It was to be expected ! A project to dismiss the President of the Senate is taking shape within the Upper House in Anosy. Senators close to the regime, the majority in the Glass Palace, accused Herimanana Razafimahefa of having unstable behavior, going so far as to call him mentally ill. They are asking the collegial government of Christian Ntsay, who has already described this head of institution as a “liar”, for an extraordinary parliamentary session.
Without delay, the collegial government responded favorably to this call and summoned senators to an extraordinary parliamentary session, just a few days before the opening of the second ordinary parliamentary session. The focal point of this parliamentary session which will begin this Thursday, October 12 will certainly be the dismissal of the President of the Senate, Herimanana Razafimahefa. A scenario that political observers have already predicted with the tension that reigns within this legislative chamber.
According to article 76 of the Constitution, parliament meets “in extraordinary session, on an agenda determined by the decree of the President of the Republic taken in the Council of Ministers, either on the initiative of the Prime Minister, or at the request of the absolute majority of members.
The speed of the decision of the collegial government to respond favorably to the request of these senators, however, raises questions. Indeed, according to the opinion of the High Constitutional Court (HCC), the powers of the collegial Government exercising the functions of interim Head of State are limited to “current presidential responsibilities” and “to matters constituting the normal continuation of a procedure initiated before the resignation of the President of the Republic.
Yesterday, the President of the Senate once again spoke to journalists to respond to the Prime Minister who described his assertions as lies. He said he was surprised by Christian Ntsay’s reaction, mentioning that between them there had been a “non-aggression” agreement. In addition to the death threats he would have received and which would have enabled him to benefit from reinforced custody in recent times, there would also have been a verbal “attack” launched against him.
Following the umpteenth turnaround in the situation within the Senate and in particular the request addressed by Herimanana Razafimahefa to the High Constitutional Court (HCC), this court summoned the 13 candidates for the presidential election yesterday in Ambohidahy. Andry Rajoelina and candidate Andry Raobelina did not attend the meeting. No information has leaked from the closed-door meeting during which journalists were invited to photograph the participants before leaving. However, candidate Paraina Auguste revealed that the request of the President of the Senate was one of the points discussed during this meeting.
The attempted dismissal of the President of the Senate should therefore take place in the coming hours. After the 2020 reform, the Senate is currently made up of 18 senators, including 12 elected indirectly by regional and municipal elected officials and 6 appointed by the President of the Republic. Of the 12 elected officials, including 2 per province, 10 come from the IRMAR platform (Isika rehetra miaraka amin’i Andry Rajoelina) from which Herimanana Razafimahefa comes, the other 2 from the Malagasy Miara Miainga (MMM) party. The other 6 were appointed by Andry Rajoelina. On September 8, the same day that Herimanana Razafimahefa resigned as interim president of the republic, General Richard Ravalomanana was appointed senator to replace the current Minister of Justice Mbolatiana Randriamantenasoa.
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